Sliding window latch

ABSTRACT

A LATCH FOR SLIDING WINDOWS WHICH CONSISTS OF A LATCHING ELEMENT HAVING AN EXTENDED FLANGE AT ON END AND AN ACTUATOR COMPRISING A GUIDE MEMBER WHICH SLIDES WITHIN AN APERTURE IN THE LATCHING ELEMENT. CAMMING SSURFACES PROVIDED ON THE ACTUATOR ENGAGE THE FLANGE EXTENSIONS AND TRANSLATE THE LATCHING ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO   THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATOR. A SPRING AFFIXED TO THE LATCHING ELEMENT FLANGE IS HELD IN COMPRESSION BY A HOUSING MEMBER.

Feb. 2, 1971 P. CRAIN 3,550,037

SLIDING WINDOW LATCH Filed July 28, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR PHILIP CRAIN Feb. 2, 1971 P. RMN 3,560,037

SLIDING WINDOW LATCH Filed July 28, 1969 a Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

PHILIP CRAIN RNEY Feb. 2, 1971 P. CRAIN SLIDING WIXDOW LATCH C5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 28. 1969 IIH W m V: B

United States Patent Ofice 3,560,037 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 3,560,037 SLIDING WINDOW LATCH Philip Crain, Valley Stream, N.Y., assignor to Allen- Stevens Corp., Woodside, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 28, 1969, Ser. No. 845,327 Int. Cl. Ec 1/16, 7/02 U.S. Cl. 292-170 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latch for sliding windows which consists of a latching element having an extended flange at one end and an actuator comprising a guide member which slides within an aperature in the latching element. Camming surfaces provided on the actuator engage the flange extensions and translate the latching element in a direction normal to the direction of movement of the actuator. A spring affixed to the latching .element flange is held in compression by a housing member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a window latch and in particular to a latch for releasably securing sliding windows.

Sliding windows are often employed in homes and commercial buildings because they provide good protection against external weather conditions, are easy to operate and are attractive in appearance. Such windows require latches designed to be operated only from the inside of the building, are reliable and are relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Accordingly, I have invented a latch for sliding windows which meets these criteria.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My latch, which is normally secured to the stile of a sliding window, comprises a latching element having a tongue at one end for engaging the stile of a second window and, at the opposite end, a flange provided with first and second extensions. The latching element is translated by an actuator having a guide member which slides within an aperture in the surface of the latching element and first and second camming members located on either side of the guide members. The first and second extensions on the latching element flange slidably engage the sloping surfaces of the first and second camming members resulting in translation of the latching element in a direction normal to the displacement of the actuator. A spring affixed to the latching element flange is held in compression by a housing member attached to the stile of the sliding window.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a pair of sliding windows with the latch afl'lxed thereto.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing how the various latch elements cooperate.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the latching element.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the actuator.

FIGS. 5-7 are sectional side, elevation and plan views of the assembled latch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a pair of sliding windows and 11 each having top rails 12, 12, bottom rails 13, 13' and outer stiles 14 and 14. A latch shown generally at 15 is secured to the inner stile 16 of sliding window 10. Latch 15, which secures stile 16 of window 10 to overlapping stile 16' of window 11, is released by pressing actuator 17 to the right, this motion also sliding window 10 to its open position.

Details of the latch and the method of mounting it to stile 16 are shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6 and 7 and perspective views of the latch element 1 8 and actuator 17 are depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 3, latching element 18 comprises a tongue 19 located at one end and a flange 20 at the other end. Flange 20 is provided with first and second extensions 21 and 22 and an edge portion 23 containing slots 24. A rectangular aperture 25 is centered in the latching element adjacent flange 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 17 comprises a handle portion 26, a guide member 27, and first and second camming members 28 and 29 located on either side of guide member 27. The camming members 28, 29 are each provided with a camming surface 30, 31 which slopes downward from the rear of handle 26. Edges 32, 33 extend upward from camming surfaces 30, 31 and, as shall be shown hereinafter, act in cooperation with latching element 18 to limit the motion of actuator 17.

Referring now to the exploded partial perspective view of FIG. 2 and the sectional view of FIGS. 5-7, it is seen that guide member 27 of actuator 17 slides within aperture 25 in latching element 18. Extensions 21 and 22 on flange 20 ride on the surfaces and 31 respectively of camming members 28 and 29 of actuator 17. Tongue 25 of latching element 18 slides within the slots 34 and 35 in inner stile 16 to engage the holding flange 36 of stile 16' as shown in FIG. 7. Lateral movement of tongue 25 is limited by lips 37 which fit within the narrowed ends 38 and 39 of slots 34 and 35.

A leaf spring 40 is secured to flange edge 23 of flange 20 by punched out clips 41 (see FIG. 5) which fit into slots 24. A housing 42 is secured by screws 43 to stile 16 thereby compressing spring 40 and holding the latch assembly in position.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show the latch in its normal position in which latching element 18 is held in contact with stile 16' by leaf spring 40. As best shown in FIG. 6 (in which leaf spring 40 has been omitted for clarity) and in FIG. 7, actuator 17 is urged outward by the pressure of flange extensions 21 and 22 on camming surfaces 30 and 31. Actuator 17 is held within the assembly by extensions 21 and 22 which press against camming member edges 32 and 33 thereby preventing the actuator from moving past the position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Latching element 18 is disengaged from stile 16' by pressing actuator 17 in the direction of arrow 44 (FIG. 7). This movement of actuator 7 causes flange extensions 21 and 22 to slide up on camming member surfaces 30 and 31 thereby displacing latching element 18 in the direction of arrow 45 and moving tongue 25 out of contact with flange 36 in stile 16'. Removal of pressure on actuator 17 permits spring 40 to restore the latching element 18 and actuator 17 to the positions shown in FIGS. 5-7.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch for a sliding window comprising (a) a latching element having a tongue at one end and including first and second extensions, said latching element having an aperture in the surface thereof,

(b) an actuator having a guide member slidably positioned within the aperture of said latching element and first and second camming members located on either side of said guide member, the first and second extensions of said latching element slidably engaging the surfaces of said first and second camming members,

(c) spring means for resiliently urging said latching element into its latching position, and

((1) means for holding said spring means under compression.

2. A latch for a sliding window as defined by claim 1, wherein said first and second camming members have edges extending upwardly from the surfaces of said camming members to engage the extensions of said latching element, said extensions limiting the displacement of said actuator.

3. A latch for a sliding window as defined by claim 1, wherein the spring 'means is secured to said latching element.

4. A latch for a sliding window as defined by claim 3, wherein said spring means secured to said latching element is a leaf spring and the means for holding said spring under compression is a housing secured to said window.

5. A latch for a sliding window as defined =by claim 4, wherein said leaf spring is secured to a flange afiixed to the opposite end of said latching means.

6. A latch for a sliding window as defined by claim 1, wherein the first and second extensions of said latching element are secured to a flange affixed to the other end of said latching element.

7. A latch for securing first and second sliding windows having overlapping first and second stiles, said first stile having at least one aperture therein and said second stile having holding means, said latch comprising:

(a) a latching element having a tongue at one end slidably positioned within the aperture in said first stile, said tongue engaging the holding means on said second stile, said latching element further including a flange having first and second extensions and an aperture in the surface thereof,

('b) an actuator having a guide member slidably positioned within the aperture of said latching element and first and second camming members located on either side of said guide member, the first and second extensions of said latching element slidably engaging the surfaces of said first and second camming members, said actuator translating said latching element in a direction perpendicular to the direction of placement of said actuator,

(0) spring means for resiliently urging said latching element into its latching position, and

(d) housing means secured to the surface of said first stile for holding said spring under compression.

8. A latch for securing first and second sliding windows as defined by claim 7 wherein said first and second camming members have edges extending upwardly from the References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 559,483 5/1896 Euwer 292- 1,369,820 3/1921 Krizs 29217O 3,166,144 1/1965 Price 292-144X 3,266,832 8/1966 Johnston 292228 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner A. G. CRAIG, JR., Assistant Examiner 

